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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24058036">Setting the Foundation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BowTy_TheWritingPupper/pseuds/BowTy_TheWritingPupper'>BowTy_TheWritingPupper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, F/F, High School, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not a game, OC Parents - Freeform, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:20:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,671</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24058036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BowTy_TheWritingPupper/pseuds/BowTy_TheWritingPupper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Doki Doki Literature Club slice of life fanfic.  The girls are real high school students trying to navigate life as best they can.  No MC or video game in this fiction.  Slowburn Yuri x Natsuki focused.  Update: This isn't dead, I promise!  I'm just trying to find the motivation to write.  I don't want the quality to slip just because I'm forcing myself to write.  This should be back soon!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Natsuki/Yuri (Doki Doki Literature Club!)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Great Idea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first day back at school was always the most exhausting.  Not exam days, not finals, not even graduation for those who could be so lucky.  No, if Monika had to pick, she would nominate the first day as the most tiresome without hesitation.  This mostly stemmed from the sheer amount of attention the first day created for her.  Students and teachers alike would bombard her with niceties and greetings that seemed to accumulate during summer break.</p>
<p>“Oh my gosh, your hair grew a lot over the summer, Monika.  It looks spectacular!”</p>
<p>“Hope you had a good summer, Monika.  I can’t wait to see you in my class this year.”</p>
<p>“Monika!  Would you mind stopping by my classroom during your free period to show the new students how it’s done?”</p>
<p>To anyone on the outside, all of the attention was borderline envious.  However, Monika often found such obsessions over her more bothersome and overwhelming than flattering.  So much was expected of her and she was only a third-year student.  Despite the hassle every first day of school brought with it, Monika tackled it all with her signature smile and carefree pose.  Being the class president was hard work, but well worth it when it comes to her reputation among peers and college resume potential.</p>
<p>There were times where Monika found that smiles, poses, and a generally great personality were not enough to stave off the impending stress that came with everyone admiring her during the entire school day.  When those moments hit her, Monika turned to the only thing that helped ease the pressure: literature.  Namely, her poetry.  Whenever she found the time between first-day nonsense, Monika would quickly and discretely slip her composition notebook from the confines of her bookbag.  When she would swiftly open the pages, the scent of fresh ink from her latest poem- still wet and raw- would fill her senses and her senses only.</p>
<p>On days like the one in question, the subject matter was fairly uniform- a want for peace of mind and self-isolation.  To be left alone like any normal student was what she occupied many pages with.  The occasional peer would glance over at her curiously as she toiled over the pages, but whenever anyone approached, Monika was quick to gently close the notebook and return it to its home in her book bag.  Her attention would immediately shift to the person or issue at hand and that was that until the next time she felt she was in the clear to write again.</p>
<p>This particular first day back was easily separated from the others, though.  The school workload, the club activities, and the constant attention were eerily similar to how they were every year, but it was her poetry that stood out on this day.  She was far more invested in the poems and composing them compared to the passive writing she had done in previous experiences.  Whereas the activity had merely been calming when she started, she found that she enjoyed the ability to express her strife in such a beautiful, artistic way.</p>
<p>Instead of going to the debate club that afternoon, Monika slipped through the halls with silent determination until she found an empty classroom to hide out in.  Many other students would have just gone home if they wanted to be alone, but Monika knew that all that was waiting for her at home was a stiff family dinner and a pile of summer preparatory work to finish before the school started to give legitimate homework.  The lack of personal time wasn’t all that would be waiting for her at home.  Her parents were likely to batter her with probing questions about why she wasn’t at debate club showing the other students the obvious pick for club president for the third year in a row.  Therefore, an empty classroom at school, devoid of any expectation and free for her to express herself as she pleased was ideal.</p>
<p>“This… is surprisingly nice,” Monika declared to the empty classroom.  The setting sun cast a soothing, natural glow on the room, Monika, and the poem she was working on at that moment.  As much as she liked the chance to settle down and write, she had to admit that she was fairly lonely.  Even though she came to the classroom to be alone, she realized that the complete solitude was not exactly what she wanted.</p>
<p>“I wonder if I could get any of my friends to do this…” She mused aloud.  She quickly shook her head and sighed.  No one she was well acquainted with would ever be up to such a task unless it was for some sort of competition or scholarship.</p>
<p>Monika spent the better part of the afternoon in the empty classroom writing and mulling over her newfound passion.  Her parents would never allow her to fully pursue poetry, but the thoughts of doing so stuck in her mind.</p>
<p>“Maybe I can find a way around this.”  Monika began to pack away her writing tools as she prepared for the walk back home.  The hallways were silent and she was positive the school was nearly empty.  This fact in mind, Monika allowed herself to freely voice her thoughts, even if they were only to herself.</p>
<p>“Starting my own clue would be a considerable accomplishment on my resume.  And then if the club got serious enough, we could submit to competitions… This might work.”  Monika’s smile beamed as she began to make her way out of the school building.  The impending darkness of evening was comforting.  She let the late-summer breeze shift her hair to and fro as she continued her trek home.  If anyone were around, they would have mentioned how light her gait seemed to be that afternoon.</p>
<p>However, when she stepped back into her neighborhood and through the front gate of her house, Monika schooled her excitement.  She would hate for her parents to prematurely discover and therefore spoil this new venture.  All she needed was time to come up with a solid plan.</p>
<p>This idea had potential, and she was determined to see it through.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Get Out of Bed!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sayori's just trying to make it through the day.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day was not turning out well and school hadn't even started yet.  As usual, Sayori had woken up late for school.  Thankfully, this was not caused by another bout of depression.  After seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist for those mental issues in middle school, Sayori- with a healthy mix of medicine and emotional support from friends and family- was able to manage her depressive episodes until they rarely occurred.  All of that being said, the reason for her sleeping in late was not a lack of motivation, but a simple slip of her mind to set her alarm for the start of the new school year.  Not that she was particularly elated about school, but she promised herself and her parents that she'd be better about waking up on time.</p><p> As a result of this careless action, Sayori was pressed for time once she finally woke up.  Sayori was a whirlwind of limbs, random articles of clothing, and personal care items as she rushed to make it to school on time.  Once she made it to the top of the stairs, she’d somehow managed to look presentable and semi-put together.  To the common onlooker, Sayori looked like she took hours to get herself together.  However, it was the experience of a master procrastinator that produced her well-brushed hair, thoroughly-cleaned teeth, and only slightly ruffled uniform.</p><p>As she descended the stairs, Sayori’s household seemed just as disorganized as she was.  Her mother sat at the kitchen table with a slew of paperwork before her and a freshly-emptied cup of coffee in her left hand.  Her right hand was occupied with a packet of paper that had a few visible food stains on it.  Meanwhile, her father scrambled to get breakfast together, which Sayori could smell was burning from the kitchen.  Despite how absolutely buried in work she was, Sayori’s mom immediately noticed her chipper presence.  The older woman jumped up from her seat as she checked the time on her wristwatch, completely tipping the empty cup in her hand sideways.</p><p>“Sayori! Oh, god, what time is it?  School-!  Breakfast-!  You-”  Sayori put a hand on her mother’s shoulder and slowly lowered the woman back into her seat.  She settled the woman with a soft smile.  Her mother was usually most put together in their family of three, but work was her organizational Kryptonite.  Owning and operating her own floral shop was quite the chore, so Sayori understood her mother's current plight.</p><p>“Mom, it’s okay!  I’ll just grab some toast and head to school before I’m too late!”  Her mother’s frantic expression waned as it was swiftly replaced with an appreciatory smile.</p><p>“Thank you, Sayori.  I’m sorry for not waking you up today.  I'll definitely do it tomorrow.”  Sayori was almost out of the room before her mother could finish.  In the kitchen, she was greeted with the sight of her father fumbling about with a messy bowl of half-scrambled eggs.  Behind him, beside the entrance of the kitchen, a skillet of burnt bacon created a cloud of smoke that seemed to go unnoticed by the man.  Sayori raised an eyebrow and moved the skillet over to an eye that wasn’t currently turned on.  The smoke immediately dissipated.  While she maintained her smile, it took much more effort than she would have liked.</p><p>“Dad?  Need any help?”  Sayori’s chipper tone caused the large man to jump in alarm.  The contents of the bowl seemed to jump along with him as they became airborne before sloshing back down into their container.  He smiled with tired enthusiasm at her before his expression immediately shifted into a frown.  His eyes widened as they shifted back and forth from the oven clock to Sayori and her school uniform.  Before he could voice his concerns, Sayori jumped in.</p><p>“I know, I know! I just came in for some toast, then I’m on my way!”  Sayori smiled.  She reached around him and snagged a piece of toast from the plate.  It seemed that toast was the only thing her father hadn’t completely destroyed that morning.  Sayori couldn't entirely blame the man.  He was never adept at cooking, but the fact that he stepped up to help when her mom was so busy helped Sayori overlook the disaster.  With a dismissive wave, Sayori shouted goodbye to her parents and ran off to school.</p><p>Despite how unbearably boring school could be, Sayori appreciated the relative stability that came with it.  While they had worked on getting more organized for Sayori’s mental sake, her parents were still almost as spastic as she herself was. School provided a reprieve from the chaos, if only briefly.</p><p>However, the boring calm of the classroom setting came with a caveat.  Without anything to occupy her mind,  her thoughts started to take over and distracted her from whatever task was at hand.  Luckily, it was only the first day of school and they were looking over the syllabus, but Sayori couldn’t even remember what class she was in at that moment.  Math?  Literature?  Her focus waned the harder she tried to concentrate.</p><p>By the end of the school day, Sayori said her goodbyes to her teachers and classmates as she exited the classroom.  Instead of going straight home per usual, Sayori opted to wander around the school grounds a bit to clear her head.  Her mother would likely bring home a bag full of paperwork and her father was likely still home writing whatever new novel he decided to pursue.</p><p>The halls were quiet.  It wasn't the type of quiet that made one uncomfortable and paranoid, but it was quiet in the way that the early morning of a Sunday was quiet.  Faintly, the sounds of clubs in nearby classrooms could be heard as Sayori passed them.  She paid them no mind as she instead focused on calming her thoughts.</p><p>Sometime during her wandering- Sayori was unsure exactly how long she’d spaced out for- she stumbled across a classroom that caught her attention.  The main reason being that the door was left slightly ajar in comparison to the shut ones she’d passed thus far, but the person within the classroom was what truly drew her in.</p><p>“Woah… Is that really her?  Why is she all alone,” Sayori whispered, quite poorly, though.  Miraculously, she hadn’t caught the attention of the girl she was admiring.  </p><p>Within the room, Monika was sitting alone at a desk by the window.  With her back to Sayori, the chipper girl couldn’t make out exactly what Monika was doing, but she could clearly see her hand moving feverishly, likely writing something down.</p><p><i>”She looks so intense,”</i> Sayori thought.  She moved just a bit closer to the door before thinking better of interrupting the class idol.  Instead, she backed away from the door and headed back the way she came.  Her thoughts were still very loud in her head, but at least they had something to focus on.</p><p><i>”What was she doing?”</i>  Sayori’s brows knitted in concentration as she finally began to make her way home.  It seemed like the first time that day, her thoughts had finally gone quiet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!  I don't know how many chapters this will be, but I'm aiming for around fourteen chapters.  If you like it, please check out TybersTales on Tumblr, BowTyTheWriter on Twitter, or any of my other works on this site. I hope you all enjoy. Feedback welcomed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Falling Upwards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Starting a club is only slightly more difficult than Monika anticipated.  It's a good thing some help is on the way.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Miss Monika, while I appreciate the amount of effort and thought put into this little project of yours, but I’m afraid we’ve hit a slight snag in approving your request to start this club.”</p><p>The day Monika hatched her brilliant idea for a poetry club, she wasted no time in planning out its development.  In between left-over summer work and her parents badgering her about what they expected out of her this upcoming school year, Monika had also managed to write down a comprehensive list of essential details about the club.  The club mission statement, potential activities, a starting budget and ways to acquire more money.  Monika dutifully toiled over it all in a single night.</p><p>“Honestly, it sounds like a quaint endeavor: a literature club.”  Despite her immense efforts thus far, Monika was currently facing her largest obstacle yet.  Even though the school possessed many clubs- most pointless in their goals- creating a new club was extremely difficult.  The Board of Club Directors- which consisted of the principal, the vice-principal, and the school accountant- had to approve of any club that would be represented under the school’s name and take place under its roof.  The approval had to be unanimous and that was far more difficult than it should have been.</p><p>The meeting had started off well enough.  As the school’s top achiever, all three of them already loved Monika.  In fact, the principal herself was elated when Monika came to her with her club proposal and immediately scheduled their meeting for that afternoon.  The three adults were absolutely smitten with the idea, but one question asked by the school accountant put a halt to the good mood.</p><p>“So, how many other students have expressed interest in this club,” he asked.  His tone was jovial, delighted.  Mr. Tanaka was only in his early thirties, but he already had a salt and pepper look going with his hair.  Many of the female students fawned over his rugged looks despite the age gap.</p><p>The air in the room grew thick as Monika realized her one oversight.  Members.  As interesting and calming as a club focused on literature and poetry was to her, she knew from experience that many of her peers would strongly disagree.</p><p>Monika could feel the sweat start to seep from her palms and she discreetly wiped it off on her skirt.  Now more than ever she had to keep the appearance of certainty and confidence.  With that in mind, she straightened herself out and continued as she had before.</p><p>“Well, so far I’m the only person I know that’s interested so far, but I believe that once word gets out that this club is being established students will start showing interest.”  Monika internally nodded to herself.  Poised as always.  The board nodded in understanding before exchanging glances.  After a moment, the principal shifted in her seat and cleared her throat to gain Monika’s attention.  Mrs. Sugatsune was an older woman with hair the color of coal and eyebrows the color of snow.  No one mentioned the discrepancy.</p><p>“As I’m sure you understand, we cannot allow clubs of only one member to exist within this school.  However, we know how capable you are as a student and a leader.  The school’s club fair is in a couple of weeks.  We will give you until the day after that to gain members for your club.  I believe that you can do it, but if you cannot we cannot allow this club to continue.  Is that understood?”</p><p>The vice-principal nodded.  Mr. Jima’s round face looked strained, as if he wanted to say something, but held back.  Instead, the middle-aged man just leaned back in his seat.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am.  I understand.  I will be sure to gain members.  Thank you for this opportunity.”  Monika finished with a respectful bow.  The principal nodded her head, allowing Monika permission to leave the room, which she did.</p><p>Monika closed the office door with a small click.  She turned around to leave the building and get to work on members. She contemplated the situation as she exited the school building.  Unlike the previous day, the afternoon was only halfway over with and the sun was still high in its perch in the sky. While most teens would be elated at this fact, it only made Monika dread the upcoming piles of homework and intense planning waiting for her at home.</p><p>Before she could start her way down the sidewalk towards her house, a startling yell interrupted her journey.</p><p>"Monika! Monika, wait up!" Expecting one of her fellow overachiever "friends" Monika turned around and plastered on her stock smile and pose.  The girl behind her was definitely not someone who hung out with Monika's usual crowd. The girl running towards her was disheveled. She clumsily jogged over to where Monika stood. Messy coral hair and disheveled uniform were two of the most notable features of the girl. Monika's habit of being polite won out once again as she stopped to properly greet what could very well be a fan.</p><p>Eventually, the girl caught up to her. She panted and put her hands on her knees for support, but only for a moment. After her quick recovery, the girl sprung back into a standing position and offered Monika her hand.</p><p>"Hi! I'm Sayori! Second-year!" The girl's cheer took Monika by surprise, but only for a moment before she caught herself and smiled.  She gently shook Sayori's hand, who offered her own excited shake.</p><p>"Hello, Sayori. I'm Mo-"</p><p>"Monika, a third-year. Everyone knows who you are!" Monika blushed at the statement and slowly pulled her hand away. Such popularity could be nice at times, but mostly it just caught her off guard and made her flustered. The girl in front of her, full of energy and excitement, continued to speak.</p><p>"Anyway, I saw you after school yesterday. You were writing something down? I was just curious and wanted to ask what you were doing all alone," Sayori finished with a smile.
Monika's eyebrows raised slightly. Sayori saw her yesterday? Due to the lack of interruptions, she hadn't thought anyone had seen her, especially not someone who seemed as excitable as Sayori.</p><p>"Oh, that! I was just writing some poetry." The reason why didn't need to be specified. They'd only just met, after all.  Sayori’s eyes widened and she jumped up and down in place.  Monika wasn’t sure it was physically possible for Sayori to get any more elated.</p><p>“You write poetry too?  That’s so cool!”  The realization that she wasn't the only one interested in the subject elated her. The opportunity she so desperately needed practically fell at her feet.</p><p>"That's amazing! I'm actually trying to start a literature club. Would you want to join?"</p><p>"Join? Of course! Ooh, can I help you set it up? This sounds fun." Sayori's enthusiasm had Monika over the moon. She looked at Sayori and then towards her route home.</p><p>"Do you want to talk about it for a minute? I have some time…"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I am truly trying to get better, so constructive criticism and comments are always greatly appreciated. If you like it, please check out TybersTales on Tumblr, BowTyTheWriter on Twitter, or any of my other works on this site. I hope you all enjoy. Feedback welcomed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Oasis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kindred souls are difficult to find.  Yuri hasn't exactly found them yet, but this is close enough.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>School was often a place of blissful solitude for Yuri.  With a house full of siblings, school was Yuri’s reprieve from all of the noise and chaos.  Yuri wasn’t even the oldest, but she was definitely the most mature.  At least, so she’d been told.  She even shared a room with her second-youngest sister, so no place at home offered the quiet that school did.</p>
<p>Yuri sighed as she trudged closer to the exit.  The horde of fellow students surrounded her like a thick cloud of smelly, hot voices.  None of which were directed towards her.  To avoid overstimulation, Yuri rarely interacted with people at school.  Instead of enlisting other classmates to keep her company, she much preferred books. They didn't talk and she could do as she pleased with them. That being said, Yuri wasn't immune to the empty feeling of loneliness. As the black sheep in the family, she didn't get along too well with any of her siblings or her parents. They didn't hate or even dislike each other, they just starkly different interests and they all accepted that as fact.</p>
<p><i>’Hopefully I can finish this book before my teachers start giving us homework again.  I think the climax is near.’</i> Yuri’s inner thoughts kept her occupied when no one else would.</p>
<p>Yuri clutched her bag's thick strap closer to her chest as she tried not to collide with any of the bodies around her.  With her slower and more passive pace, Yuri found herself at the back of the pack before she could even exit the hallway.  Without the slightly shorter heads dominating her line of sight, a corkboard to her right redirected Yuri’s attention back to reality.  Tacked to the board were several fliers for clubs around the school.  Most were already well-known clubs that wanted to announce their existence to first-year students before the club fair.  Most of the fliers were well-designed and printed on crisp copy paper.  However, one of them stood out for all of the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>This particular flier was hand-drawn, which was why it stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others.  Several small, hand-drawn books, quills, and pens littered the page.  While the drawings were done with almost expert precision, the actual writing of the message seemed hastily done; almost like an afterthought.  Yuri leaned closer to the paper so that she could get a better view of the words.</p>
<p>
  <i>Join the Literature Club today!  
Meetings every day after school!  Room 320!  Enjoy reading, writing, and much more!</i>
</p>
<p>“Literature Club,” Yuri mumbled to herself.</p>
<p>Yuri raised her eyebrow and stood up straight.  She looked down both sides of the hallway only to be met with silence.  The wave of students that previously overflowed in the hallways had all filtered out through the front door and gone home for the day.  Not even the usual stragglers were to be seen.  Due to most club activities taking place either outside or on the top two floors, Yuri knew she was alone for the moment.</p>
<p>
  <i>‘I should probably be heading home…'  While the flier was crude and almost insulting, Yuri appreciated the idea behind the club. A focus on the literary arts was right up her alley. The fact that the club was brand new and therefore small was a plus. It gave her something to do and like-minded people to converse with in a quiet environment as opposed to going home to survive another night.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>‘This could be good for me.  Mom is always encouraging me to make friends with similar interests.  Maybe this is where I can do that.’</i>
</p>
<p>Yuri turned to the school's main stairwell and swiftly yet elegantly made her way towards the third floor.  The sounds of other students returned faintly from the hallways of the second and third floors. The debate club- situated on the second floor beside the stairwell- seemed to be passionately embedded in yet another debate.</p>
<p>The third floor was a bit quieter than the second.  The further down Yuri went, the less noise seemed to be produced by the adjacent rooms.  By the time she reached room 318, the hall was nearly silent.  The Literature Club was stationed in a somewhat secluded section of the hallway away from other assigned club rooms, but this made the club all the more attractive to Yuri.</p>
<p>“It wouldn’t do any good to have the classrooms beside us making so much noise while we read, would it,” Yuri rationalized out loud.  A sudden wave of doubt and hesitation attacked her before she could fully approach the door.</p>
<p><i>‘Come on. You’ve been so lonely for so long.  So different… This is the perfect opportunity to change that.  Why am I so nervous then?  It will be okay.  And even if it isn’t, I can just leave, right?’</i>  Yuri’s mental pep talk served its purpose well.  Apprehension made way for courage and she charged before her dread came back around.</p>
<p>The door to the room was slightly ajar, so Yuri threw a bit more strength behind opening it than necessary.  The excessive force caused her to stumble into the room rather ungracefully.  She was quick to right herself before her new clubmates saw, but when she looked up it was too late.</p>
<p>Two girls sat at desks in the front of the room.  Both turned around in a rush to see who had intruded on what seemed to be an important conversation.  The long, brown ponytail of a girl she’d seen around school nearly smacked the back of her coral-haired companion.  Green and blue eyes bore into her and the room stilled.</p>
<p>
  <i>‘Oh no.  I really messed that up. I should probably just go-’</i>
</p>
<p>“New member!” A shout from the coral-haired girl stopped Yuri midthought.  She was frozen in place as she watched the excitable girl jump up and down in her seat.  The girl across from her had a milder, yet just as warm of a reaction.  A pleased look came across her features and her smile lit up.  She stood from her chair and began to calmly approach Yuri.</p>
<p>“Please, come in.  We’re very happy to have you here. My name is Monika, the president of this club.  My vice president over there is Sayori.  It’s so nice to meet you…”  As Monika made her way over to Yuri, she got introductions out of the way.  No point in wasting time in introducing them when the poor girl looked like she was about to bolt right then and there.  Once she finished, she left her sentence open in hopes of getting their new member’s name.  Thankfully, Yuri seemed to catch on.</p>
<p>“Yuri.  My name is Yuri,” Yuri said.  There was an unintentional tremble in her words as her voice lowered to barely above a whisper.  However, Monika either heard her well or was gracious enough not to ask her again.</p>
<p>“Well welcome to the Literature Club! We apologize for not having any planned activities yet.  Sayori and I are still working out the details and trying to get members,” Monika explained.  “If you’d like to help us plan, that would be great!  Or if you’d just like to do your own thing that’s always okay too.”</p>
<p>Yuri nodded and stepped further into the classroom and towards the front row of chairs to join Sayori and Monika.  <i>‘I probably won’t be able to contribute much, but at least I can take my novel out if I feel like it and not be judged for it.’</i>  Yuri smiled at the thought.</p>
<p>Literature club, while crude in its current development, felt like the perfect oasis for her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I take suggestions and requests.  I'm always up to talk.  I hope you all liked this!  Please, leave a kudos, comments, and share if you'd like.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Anywhere but Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If given the choice between home and literally anywhere else, Natsuki would choose the latter every time.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pink hair and a red hair clip were the only things most people saw sticking out from above the thick manga planted firmly on Natsuki's desk. The large hardback book was held in place by two small yet strong hands that belonged to an equally small yet strong girl.  A week into the year meant that classes were finally beginning to go over useful material as opposed to the syllabus they seemed religiously focused on previously.  Despite the instructional time and Natsuki’s subpar grade in math, she directed her attention to her current manga.</p><p><i>‘The art in this one is so good!  The writing could use a lot of work, though.’</i>  Lost in the thoughts of her evaluation of the literature before her, Natsuki failed to notice both the sudden silence of the classroom and the large figure furiously making his way towards her.</p><p>“Ahem!  Natsuki!  What do you have there?”  Came the rough and alarming voice of Professor Hirota.  Natsuki jumped slightly in her seat, but steeled herself in place and stared the rotund man down.  Her cotton candy pink eyes bore into his black pupils.</p><p><i>‘Oh God.  I’m so screwed!’</i>  Her internal reaction differed greatly from her outward response.</p><p>“None of your business, pig.”  Came the biting reply.  The class was filled with immature laughter and noises of surprise.  Mr. Hirota gasped and recoiled, standing straight up and putting a hand over her heart in dismay.</p><p><i>‘If I push him any more he might actually have a heart attack.’</i> Natsuki thought.  Nervous sweat broke out on her brow, but she still attempted to keep her cool.  She had an image to uphold and that image included not backing down to the sweaty red mess of a man who felt her could mind her business.</p><p>“I-I...Keep this up and I’ll be seeing you this afternoon in detention!”  Mr. Hirota’s plump face was as red as a clown’s nose.  A few strands of thick, greasy hair fell in front of his eyes, adding to his already flustered look.  Natsuki put her book down and crossed her arms over her chest.  Mr. Hirota smirked at the sign of defeat.  His pleased look vanished when he was meet with a smirk of Natsuki’s own.</p><p>
  <i>‘I don’t want to do this… but detention is better than going home.’</i>
</p><p>“To see me in detention you’d have to be able to stop stuffing your face first,” Natsuki said, delivering the final blow.</p><p>
  <i>‘I’m sorry, Mr. Hirota.’</i>
</p><p>More laughter and general noises rang out in the classroom.  A couple of students even started making oinking sounds.  Natsuki could practically see the steam coming out from Mr. Hirota’s nose and ears.</p><p>Deep remorse brewed deep in Natuski’s stomach, as it always did when she did and said things like this.  She so desperately wanted to apologize for her insubordination, but that would defeat the purpose of committing it in the first place.  A couple of hours spent cleaning after school was a lot less painful than a couple of hours spent at home with her father.  If all went well, her father would be passed out in front of the television before she got home.  That way she could sneak to her room without having to confront him.</p><p>“Principal's office.  Now.”</p>
<hr/><p>Another day cleaning whiteboards was Natsuki’s assigned punishment.  Not the worst punishment, so Natsuki didn’t feel any true desire to complain.  The brunt of her sentence that day wasn’t even meant to be a punishment.  It was only a school routine.</p><p>
  <i>“Again, Ms. Gushiken?  The school year’s only just started and we’re already going through this?”  Ms. Sugatsune was normally a cheerful and optimistic woman, but her patience began to wane with the repeat basket case that sat before her.  Natsuki at least had the decency to look mildly repentant.  However, she offered no response and instead chose to sit in defiant silence.  Exasperated, Ms. Sugatsune decided to go forward with the obligatory call home.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>She had Natsuki’s file and home phone number ready.  Despite the dozens of previous times, Ms. Sugatsune attempted to call Natsuki’s father only to be met with an abrupt voicemail, she wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt and try anyway.  Natsuki only sunk in her seat as the ringing started.  She fully expected the call to go to voicemail so that Ms. Sugatsune could once again leave a disappointed voicemail explaining Natsuki’s behavior.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Both Natsuki and Ms. Sugatsune were stunned when a gruff voice answered the phone.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Who the hell is this?” The drunken slur in Mr. Gushiken’s voice was not lost on anyone in the room.  Natsuki sunk further into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.  This wasn’t a show of rebellion, but instead, Ms. Sugatsune could see a couple of shivers rack the small girl’s body.  It was an automatic gesture of self-preservation.  Ms. Sugatsune pressed on.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Hello.  I am Principal Sugatsune calling about your daughter Natsuki Gushiken.  Am I speaking to Mr. Gushiken?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Hold it right there, lady.  Don’t you ever call this damned number again.  I don’t care what that little imp does.  Stop calling me.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>With those sharp remarks, the conversation was abruptly over.  Silence filled the room as Ms. Sugatsune slowly put the phone back on its receiver.  Natsuki didn’t dare say a word.  Instead, she just looked straight down at the carpeted floor and adopted a look of complete neutrality.</i>
</p><hr/><p>Natsuki frowned and shook the thought out of her mind.  She occupied herself with aggressively wiping the already spotless whiteboard in front of her.  She was already on the last board in her second-to-last assigned classroom and it had only been an hour since school ended.  Not too keen on heading home so soon.</p><p>“He’ll probably be pissed off the school called him again.  He always is,” Natsuki mumbled.  Her mood sour, Natsuki gathered her paper towels and cleaning spray to venture towards the last classroom of the day.</p><p>The last classroom, as all of the previous ones, was supposed to be empty.  However, Natsuki stood in the door stunned when she walked in on an unexpected meeting.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!  The next chapter will be a more immediate continuation of this one.  This chapter is also the last one with the views focused on each individual girl.  The next one and every one after that will be broader in its point of view.  Please, leave a kudos, share, and comment.  Have a great one!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first slice of life fic, but I needed something lighter to write about. If you like it, please check out TybersTales on Tumblr, BowTyTheWriter on Twitter, or any of my other works on this site. I hope you all enjoy. Feedback welcomed! (Also beta reader if anyone is interested.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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